The present invention relates generally to implements of a recreational nature and, more particularly, to a device for facilitating the upright placement of a beach umbrella in sand, particularly beach sand.
When visiting the shore, most people seek some shelter from the sun. Beach umbrellas are commonplace sun shelters which are convenient to transport. Further, some organized beaches rent umbrellas to visitors. Most beach umbrellas consist of a retractable canopy mounted to a support shaft which terminates in an end portion for insertion in the sand. To properly erect the umbrella, the shaft must be driven into the sand to a predetermined depth so that the sand will hold the umbrella upright and prevent it from easily overturning, even in a stiff sea breeze.
The task is not as easy as it could be. When driving the umbrella into sand, the smooth, straight umbrella shaft will compact the sand downwardly which increases the required insertion force with depth. Generally, no grips are provided on the umbrella shaft and the user's hands can slip along the shaft during insertion. Twisting the umbrella from side to side does little to alleviate the problem. It would be desirable to have a preformed hole in the sand in which the umbrella could be inserted. Shovels or spades are of little use in this regard because such a hole needs to substantially conform to the shape of the beach umbrella shaft to provide proper lateral support for an upright beach umbrella.